The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller who was born in New York City on October 17, 1915. He attended the University of Michigan to become a playwright. Critics claim that he is the only man who understands the deep essence of the United States. His plays All My Sons and Death of a Salesman have both won national prizes. The plays made him a national sensation. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in the early 1950s during the era of McCarthyism. During this time period, Joseph McCarthy, a congressman from Wisconsin, accused numerous United States government officials of being Communists. Nearly all of the accusations were found to be false. Many historians compare this modern event to the witch hysteria that struck the town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The events in The Crucible mirror the events that happened in Salem in 1692. Miller's powerful description of the events show how intolerance and hysteria can itersect and tear a community apart.